The Princess and Her Hunter

by Zoe Storm

 

 

Two girls, running away from their families and their past, meet for the first time, and a spark of mutual recognition flashes between them. Soon they're heavily involved with each other, and will have to decide where they stand when their families come knocking.

CW: use of alcohol, shitty parents, mention of mind control, misgendering, blood, fighting, injuries, death

 

---

 

The first time their eyes meet, they’re sitting across each other in a wide circle of trans and non-binary people: they each study the other for a moment, then smile in recognition of their kinship.

“Good evening, everyone, and welcome to our weekly trans support group meeting,” James, the moderator, says, clapping his hands to draw attention to himself. “Today we have two new people who’ve moved into town recently, so I think we can start with them. Want to introduce yourself? Name, pronouns, age, and an interesting fact about yourself, just to start us off.”

“I’m–” Faye begins.

“My name–” Maddie says at the same time.

The two girls stop speaking; they glance at each other, then they burst out laughing.

“Enthusiastic, aren’t we?” James says, joining in the laugh. “Alright. Maddie, you go first.”

Madeline nods. “I’m Madeline. Maddie. Nice to meet y’all. I’m twenty-four, my pronouns are she and her, and, let’s see… I get sunburned very easily?”

“That’s to be expected,” Faye says with a grin. “You are so white. I mean. Girl.”

“Got something against pale girls?” Maddie asks with a mild smile.

Faye shakes her head. “No, not at all, just making an observation,” she says. “And you look super good.” Maddie rewards her with a bright smile, which makes Faye’s heart skip a beat and her cheeks turn pink; it takes her a moment for her to realise James is looking at her expectantly. “Right, okay. Hi everyone, I’m Faye,” Faye says. “I’m also twenty-four and my pronouns are also she and her, and I like sports. Both watching and playing.”

“I could tell,” Maddie says. “Even with those loose clothes you’re wearing, you can see you’re in good shape.”

“It’s difficult to stay in shape once you’ve reached it, though,” Faye says. “You should know; you’re very fit too.”

Maddie shakes her head. “I don’t. It’s just my natural body shape, I hardly ever exercise.”

“Huh. Damn, girl, what’s your secret? I’d give an arm to look half as good as you do,” Faye replies, and this time it’s Maddie who blushes – very visibly because of her pale skin – and looks away.

James cough discreetly. “Alright, if you two are quite done…?” he says; when Maddie and Faye both nod, he continues, “Okay then. Now it’s everyone else’s turn to introduce themselves, and then we can get the discussion started. Phil?”

-----

“Alright, and that’s all the time we have for today,” James says, clapping his hands again. “As usual, we’re going to the pub just down the street for a drink: everyone is welcome to join. For everybody else, the next meeting is in two weeks, same weekday, same bat-time, same bat-channel.”

Everyone gets up from their chairs and stretches a bit, driving the kinks of a few hours spent sitting away out of their limbs. Maddie exchanges a few words with the girl and enby who were sitting right next to her, then she crosses the circle and approaches Faye. “Faye, right?” she says, holding out her hand.

“Yes. And you’re Madeline,” Faye replies, shaking it.

“Maddie,” Maddie says.

They keep looking at each other for a long moment, still holding each other’s hand, and then finally let go. “So,” Maddie asks, “are you coming to the pub?”

“I’m not sure,” Faye says, shaking her head. “I’m not much of a drinker, really: I find that alcohol dulls my reflexes a bit too much.”

“I don’t think that would be a problem,” Maddie says. “They’re bound to have something fruity you can drink instead. Right?” she adds, turning towards James, who nods; she turns back towards Faye. “See? And even if you don’t find anything that suits your tastes, you can just have water and enjoy the company.”

Faye raises an eyebrow. “Your company?”

“If you want,” Maddie says, shrugging.

“Alright.” Faye holds out a hand. “Let’s go.”

Maddie grasps the offered hand, and together they follow the rest of the group.

-----

“Are you sure you don’t want to taste this?” Maddie asks, motioning with her glass. “It’s good.”

Faye takes the drink from her, gives it a sniff, and makes a face. “Ugh. No, thank you, I’m good.”

“Suit yourself,” Maddie says; she takes the glass back, takes a long sip, and sets the beer down on the counter. They’re sitting away from the rest of the group: the pub didn’t have a large enough table for them all, so they decided to sacrifice themselves. Not that they mind, since they both find the other’s company to be quite enjoyable.

“I don’t know how you do it,” Faye says. “I mean, there’s some booze I like, but beer? Especially IPAs? Dear God, no. Too hoppy for my tastes.”

“So what do you drink?” Maddie says.

“Mixed drinks, mostly,” Faye replies. “Radlers, sometimes.”

“What’s a radler?”

“Beer mixed with citrus juice. And above all, I don’t like tannins, so I definitely don’t drink… wine.”

Maddie blinks. The way Faye has paused before the final word…

“Not even under torture? I mean, if someone pointed a stake at you,” Maddie says, and watches as Faye’s eyebrows lift slightly towards the ceiling, “and forced you to pick between a Merlot or a Cabernet or a Pinot Noir, what would you choose?”

Faye looks at Maddie warily; then, carefully, she replies, “I’d let them drive that stake right through my heart.”

There’s a moment of silence as they look at each other, then they both smile.

“How long have you known?” Faye asks.

“Since the beginning, I think?” Maddie says. “I kinda got that feeling from you when I first saw you at the group. You?”

“Same. I don’t think anyone else noticed, but for people like us, we can just tell, right?”

“Right. But you still took a big risk by making a fang joke to confirm it. We’re not all super friendly with each other. Lots of rivalries going around.” Maddie scoffs. “My dad absolutely doesn’t want me to socialise, but that’s dumb. We’re a community, aren’t we? We’re all in the same boat.”

“Yeah. Strength in numbers. Especially since we have to face what’s out there hunting for us.” Faye takes a deep gulp of her fruity drink, and then continues, “But it doesn’t matter to me. I left that life behind when I ran away from home.”

Maddie bumps her shoulder against Faye’s. “Wanna tell me about it?”

“No,” Faye replies. “Not right now. It’s a nice moment, let’s not dwell on the past.”

“Alright.”

“But I’m going to say one thing.”

Maddie turns to face Faye, a questioning look in her eyes.

“I’m happy to have met someone who’s like me in more ways than one,” Faye says, smiling at Maddie.

Maddie smiles back. “You got that right, sister.”

They lean into each other, and clink their glasses together.

-----

“Are you sure you’re alright?” Faye asks, handing Maddie a bottle of ice-cold water.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Maddie says, taking the drink and pressing it against her forehead: she’s sitting in the shade of a gazebo, away from the scorching light of the afternoon August sun. “Thanks. I’ll just sit here for a while until I cool down a bit, and then we can move on.”

“You could’ve told me you’re bad with the heat,” Faye says. “We could’ve gone somewhere else.”

Maddie looks up at her and smiles a tired smile. “Yeah, but, you know. You were so enthusiastic about the theme park, I wanted to see what makes this place so special to you.”

Faye blushes a bit, and smiles back. “Thanks,” she says, and she sits down on the bench next to Maddie.

They’re quiet for a long time, just enjoying each other’s company, as Maddie sips on the water. “Okay, I’m good,” she finally says. “So what do you want to do now?”

“There’s a part that’s entirely in the shade,” Faye says. “They set up a big circus tent, like a big top, and they have stuff in there like you would find in county fairs. You know, ring tossing, shooting galleries, that kind of thing.”

“Sounds fun,” Maddie says, rising to her feet. “Let’s go.”

Faye stands up too, takes Maddie by the hand, and leads her partway across the park to a large tent; as they make their way inside, Maddie marvels at the various stands – it’s really fascinating, everything is in a kind of a retro style, almost a throwback to the 1950s.

“Well hello, ladies,” a man’s voice says. “What are two beautiful girls like you doing all on their own?”

Maddie and Faye both frown at the boy approaching them: from the way he swaggers, he looks like he thinks he owns the place.

“Hi,” Faye says evenly. “Can we help you?”

“Well, maybe I can help you,” the guy says. “I’d like to offer you two a drink, what do you say?”

Maddie shakes her head. “I’m going to stop you right there, and avoid you a disappointment,” she says. “You should probably know that the two of us are currently on a date.”

The guy’s smile doesn’t falter. “Well then, are you sure you wouldn’t like to go on a date with me rather than with each other?”

“Not interested,” Maddie says, and Faye shakes her head.

“Oh come on, sweethearts,” the guy insists, “are you sure?”

Faye’s eyes narrow; she takes her eyes off the guy for a moment, looking around the space inside the tent, and then looks back at him. “Tell you what, I’m going to make you a bet. You see the high ringer over there?”

She points, and the boy turns to look. “Yeah, what about it?” he asks.

“If I beat you at that, you’ll leave us alone. Deal?”

He grins. “Deal.”

They make their way over to the attraction, where the barker is waving his cane around – and Maddie has to giggle: it really is a throwback – and shouting, “Come on, come all! Let’s see who is a boy and who’s a man! Step right up! You win a stuffed animal if you can ring the bell!”

The boy swaggers up to the barker, pays him the required five dollars, and grabs the heaviest mallet, the one which weighs twenty pounds; he feels the weight a bit, then with a fluid movement he raises it high and brings it down on the lever.

“Ooh, about two thirds of the way to the top!” the barker says. “Not bad! So, who’s up next?”

“Go ahead,” the guy says, motioning for Faye to have her turn.

Her face neutral, Faye steps up, hands the barker a fiver, and lifts the mallet with one hand, seemingly without effort; she looks at it for a moment, turning it back and forth. “Huh. Heavier than I thought,” she says.

Maddie giggles, and everyone else’s eyes go wide.

Faye smirks, and slams the mallet down.

The bell goes ding.

“Oh, Faye, you’re so strong!” Maddie squeals, and gives Faye a hug; Faye smiles at her, takes the plushie from the astonished barker, and offers it to Maddie with a bow.

“For you, my princess,” she says.

“Why, thank you.”

“Wh– How? You cheated!” the guy says, recovering from his shock. “There’s no way you could… You cheated!”

“I did not. And even if I did, a bet’s a bet, right?” Faye says.

“You didn’t win, you–” the guy begins.

“Want to make another bet?” Maddie says, and steps up to a nearby booth. “How about knife throwing?”

She hands a fiver to the attendant, grabs the five knives he hands her, and throws four of them in quick succession at the target, ten feet away: four bullseyes.

She turns around and looks at the guy, raising the last knife and smiling sweetly. “Want to see what else I can do with a knife?” she asks.

The guy blinks at her, then turns around and runs away.

Faye and Maddie exchange a glance, and then break out into a giggling fit.

-----

“So what’s so special about this place?” Faye asks as Maddie pulls her into the diner, the bell above the door dinging to announce their entrance. “Looks like a normal diner.”

“It is a normal diner, but I come here when I want to relax,” Maddie says. “The owner’s very friendly, and he took a liking to me right away. Oh, and the scrambled eggs are good.” She turns around and calls out, “Hey! Boss!”

A man peeks his head out of a door, and smiles when he sees them. “Oh, hi Maddie!” he says. “Give me a sec, I’ll finish cutting these peppers and I’ll be right there.”

It takes less than a minute for him to fully emerge from the door, and when he does Faye is seriously impressed: he’s as tall and wide as a wardrobe, and looks like he could bench-press a car; he smiles kindly down at her as he holds out his hand. “Hi, I’m Dave, but you can call me Boss,” he says.

“Faye,” Faye says, shaking his hand. “I’m Maddie’s friend.”

Boss inclines his head to the side and gives her a sceptical look. “Friend?”

“Friend,” Faye nods.

“Alright, if you say so,” he says, shrugging. “Now what can I do for ya?”

“Dinner would be nice,” Maddie says.

“Take a seat wherever you like,” Boss says, waving his hand to encompass the inside of the diner: it’s a bit late in the evening – Maddie and Faye have been to the movies before going for dinner – so there are few people there. “I’ll tell Anya to bring you a menu.”

Maddie nods, and leads Faye to a table off to the side, next to the window; “This is my favourite spot. You can see the cars go by,” she says. “And when it rains, the water beads up on the glass, scattering the light.”

“It’s a nice place,” Faye says.

“Isn’t it?” Maddie says. “I found it by chance when I first came into town. I had no place to go, and Boss was kind enough to let me sleep on one of the lounge chairs for the night; then, the next day, he called up a friend and got me a place to stay.”

“Huh. I’ll have to thank him,” Faye says.

“What for?”

“Because if you didn’t have a place to stay, you probably would’ve moved on to another city, and then we wouldn’t have met,” Faye says, smiling warmly at Maddie.

Maddie smiles back, and squeezes Faye’s hand.

“Here you are, ladies,” the waitress says, setting the menus down on the table. “Oh, hi Maddie!”

“Hi, Anya,” Maddie greets her. “How’s life?”

“Good, good. Me and my partners are thinking about moving in together, so.”

“Oh, that’s great!”

Anya nods. “It is. How about you? Anyone new in your life?”

Her eyes wander to Faye, and Maddie giggles. “Probably, yeah,” she says.

“Good for you two. I’ll leave you to decide,” Anya says, and starts to walk away.

“Oh, can you bring us some garlic bread to start us off?” Maddie calls after her.

“You got it!” Anya calls back, half-turning towards them; as she does so, she inadvertently bumps a man who’s standing next to the diner’s counter, making him drop the pint glass he’s holding: it crashes to the ground, and shatters loudly.

“What the fuck! Watch where the hell you’re going!” the man shouts.

“I’m sorry, I’m really sorry!” Anya exclaims.

“Sorry doesn’t cut it!” the man rebuts loudly. “You made me spill my drink! What are you going to do about that?”

Maddie and Faye both frown. Maddie stands up.

“I’ll bring you another one,” Anya says.

“One isn’t enough! I need at least two!” He takes a step towards her, and she steps back. “Or three more! You hear that, you bitch?”

“Yes, I hear that,” Anya mumbles, taking another step back. “I… I’ll go and get a broom and clean this up.” She turns around, and hurriedly starts walking towards the double doors to the kitchen.

“Wait, where the hell do you think you’re–” the man says, and is about to start after her, but he’s interrupted when a hand lands on his shoulder, and he whirls around to face Maddie.

“Dude, what the hell are you doing?” Maddie asks. “Can’t you see you’re scaring her?”

“Damn right I’m scaring her!” the man exclaims. “That bitch made me spill my drink! She ought to be scared!”

Faye steps up next to Maddie. “Listen, buddy, you don’t want to be doing this.”

“I don’t want to be doing what?” the man shouts, and by then everyone in the diner is looking at the unfolding scene. “I don’t want to be putting you bitches in their place?”

“No. Seriously, you’re making a scene,” Faye says, and she steps back and raises her hands.

Maddie nods, and imitates her. “Let’s just all take a deep breath and don’t do anything we might regret.”

The man, however, is too drunk – or too stupid – to be reasonable. His face red, he shouts, “I’m not regretting, you’re gonna be regretting!” and he squares up. “Come at me, bitches!”

“I’ve got a different idea,” a deep voice says, and Boss steps out of the kitchen and up to the group. “Why don’t you leave the ladies alone and fuck off out of my restaurant?”

The man glances at him, pales, and gulps; “I… I’m sorry,” he stammers, and now he’s reasonable, because even in his diminished state he can tell there’s no way he’d be able to take on the beefslab of a man who’s currently staring down at him. “I was just…”

“Nope, don’t wanna hear it,” Boss says. “But I’ll be generous and not make you pay for what you’ve drunk and eaten as long as you fuck off right this moment. Deal?”

The drunkard nods, and hurriedly leaves the premises without as much as a look behind him; Boss exhales, and suddenly he’s standing differently: he’s far less menacing than he was just a moment before. “You gals alright?” he asks.

“Yeah, we are,” Faye says, and Maddie nods.

“Want anything to drink? On the house.” The two girls both shake their heads, and Boss nods in return. “I’ll bring a broom and clean the mess up.” He turns around and walks away.

Faye crouches down to the floor, and starts picking up the largest pieces of the shattered glass.

“You alright?” Maddie asks, crouching down next to her.

“Yeah,” Faye nods. “Yeah, I’m alright. I was a bit nervous, but between the two of us, we could have more than taken him had it come to that.”

Maddie nods. “Right. We’re not normal people, after all.”

“Yeah, and– fuck,” Faye swears, and her hand snaps back.

“What is it?”

“Cut myself,” Faye says, pointing to her fingertip, where a bead of deep red blood is forming. “Guess I was too focused on your eyes.”

Maddie groans and rolls her eyes. “Oh, you. Give that here.”

Before Faye has time to protest, Maddie’s grabbed her hand and put Faye’s finger in her mouth; Faye’s eyes go wide. “Maddie…”

“Shush,” Maddie mumbles, sucking softly; then she smiles. “You taste good.”

Faye blushes deeply, so deep it’s clearly visible even on her dark skin. “I…” she begins.

“Should you really be doing this right here, right now?” Boss’ voice says, and when the two girls look up he’s looking down at them, a broom and dustpan in his hands and an eyebrow raised.

Maddie and Faye look at him, then at each other, then back up at him. “Probably not?” Faye says, and she reluctantly pulls back her hand; Maddie shrugs, and smiles sheepishly.

Boss chuckles. “Go back to your table, ladies, and let me work.”

-----

“Hi, Maddie,” Faye says as she sees Maddie approach.

“Hi,” Maddie replies, and she leans forward to hug Faye. “Are you all set for our date?”

“Of course. I’ve got movie tickets, and I’ve made dinner reservations.”

“Oh? Where?”

“Where else?” Faye grins. “At Boss’ diner.”

Maddie smiles back and nods. “Alright, let’s go.”

Chatting among themselves, they start making their way from the bus station they’ve met at to the movie theatre; as they do so, they cut through around the back of a construction site, which will save them about fifteen minutes of walking. It would probably be a bad idea for two girls to go that way alone, but they both know they’re not normal girls.

So they’re not worried when a man steps out of the shadows to bar their way.

Still, they stop walking, and frown at him. “What do you want?” Faye asks.

“You,” the man replies, pointing at her. “You’re coming with me, lad. As for you, girl,” he adds, pointing at Maddie, “fuck off, and I won’t hurt you.”

Faye frowns; it’s been a while since she’s last been misgendered, and this man acts as if he knows her. “No fucking way. I’m not coming with you,” she says.

“And I’m not leaving,” Maddie adds.

“Have it your way,” the man says, and he springs forward, towards Maddie; the girls are startled by his speed, but their reflexes are sharp and well-trained. Maddie steps back, falling into a defensive position, while Faye steps forward and lashes out with her fist, being careful to control her strength: she doesn’t want to kill this guy if she can help it.

The punch connects with the man’s arm as he shields himself from Faye’s blow; he barely flinches, and Faye frowns – he’s more sturdy than she thought. A thrall…?

She steps forward, following him, and brings her leg around at head height. The man parries the blow once again, but Faye’s put more power into it, and there’s a crunching sound as his arm breaks; Faye’s foot connects with his temple, and he falls to the ground, apparently out cold.

Faye breathes out as she steadies herself and gulps a couple times. It’s been a while since she’s had to properly fight, and she’s barely used to it any more. She turns back towards Maddie.

“Are you okay?” Maddie asks.

“Yeah, I’m alright,” Faye replies with a nod. “That was weird. It was almost as if–”

“Faye, look out!” Maddie shouts as the man gets to his feet with surprising speed, right behind Faye; she whirls around to face him, and brings her hands up to parry his blow.

“Why, you…” she grits out as she grapples with him; he’s caught her by surprise, and now she’s on the back foot – and he’s holding fast onto her, even with just one good arm. Trying to get herself in a position where she can tackle him to the ground, she shifts her footing and moves slightly to the side.

And that gives Maddie a clear shot.

The stake hits the man in the chest, a fraction of an inch from his heart, and embeds itself deep; he gasps for breath, but it’s only a moment before Faye instinctively takes advantage of the opening and sinks her fangs into his neck, and a couple seconds more before she’s drained him. He crumples to the ground in a desiccated heap, but neither girl is paying attention to him any longer.

They’re both standing incredibly still, and it takes them a few moments before they fully realise what’s happened and piece the sequence of events together.

Maddie looks at the twin holes on the man’s neck. Faye looks at the stake piercing the man’s heart.

Maddie, wide-eyed, stares at Faye. Faye, wide-eyed, stares at Maddie.

“You’re a vampire?!” Maddie exclaims.

“You’re a hunter?!” Faye exclaims at the same time.

They both blink in surprise.

“Of course I’m a hunter,” Maddie says. “I thought you were a hunter, too!”

“And I thought you were a vampire!” Faye rebuts. “When were you going to tell me you’re not?”

“Uh, never? Because I thought we’d understood each other when we first met? You know, that thing you told me? ‘I’m happy to meet someone who’s like me in more ways than one?’ I thought you meant you were glad to meet another hunter!”

“No, I meant I was glad to meet another vampire!” She pauses. “Wait, if you’re not a vampire, what the fuck was that back at the diner? You sucking the blood out of my finger?”

“It’s called flirting, you dumb walnut!”

“I know what flirting is, I thought it was something more! Just FYI, sharing blood is a very intimate thing among vampires!”

Maddie blinks, taken aback. “It is?”

“It is! It’s basically the equivalent of a proposal!”

“Why didn’t you tell me?!”

“I thought you knew!!”

Maddie stares at Faye for a moment, then lets out an exasperated sigh and shakes her head. “God, I can’t fucking believe this. My girlfriend’s a vampire.”

Faye blinks. “Wait, I’m still your girlfriend?!”

“…Not the point! I mean…” Maddie pauses, shakes her head, then continues, “Well, it kinda is the point, isn’t it? I’ve been trained to hunt vampires all my life. I’ve been trained to hate vampires all my life. And now…”

Faye sighs deeply. “Okay, two can play at this game: I’ve been trained to hate hunters all my life, too. And besides, why do you hunt us anyway?”.

“Well, because you’re vampires? You kill people.”

Faye hesitates for a moment, and bites her lip. “Okay, point taken, my relatives do kill people. But I don’t.”

Maddie glances at the dried-out corpse lying on the ground next to Faye’s feet.

“Except in self-defence,” Faye says. “And besides, he wasn’t a person any longer; he was a thrall.”

“A human enslaved by a vampire, mind-wiped and completely deprived of free will,” Maddie nods; then, surprisingly, she giggles. “So you steal men’s souls and make them your slaves?”

“Har har har, laugh it up,” Faye replies, but she’s smiling. “This guy was probably one of my dad’s.”

“You mean your sire?”

“No, I mean my dad. I was born a vampire, not made one.”

Maddie blinks, and gasps in surprise. “Wait, you’re a Daylight Walker? A fucking Great Ancient?”

“I’m a Daylight Walker, yes, and that explains how I can walk around during the day, doesn’t it?” Faye says with a grin, and Maddie realises it’s true – she’s been so caught in the moment she hadn’t remembered that she had had many a date with Faye in full sunlight until Faye herself had mentioned it. “But don’t call me ancient. My dad’s ancient. I’m twenty-four.”

“…Are you really?” Maddie asks, looking at her sceptically.

“I’m not lying, I really am twenty-four. In the grand scheme of things I’m a wee little baby, even though my dad’s one of the oldest vampires around.”

“So you’re the daughter of a Great Ancient. Whoa,” Maddie breathes out. “My girlfriend’s a bloody vampire princess.”

Faye doesn’t mention that Maddie has used the g-word again, she just chuckles. “That I am. But, wait,” she adds with a frown, “how do you know about Daylight Walkers? We’re supposed to be a secret. Very hush hush, no one knows about us.”

“That’s because…” Maddie says; then, after a pause, she sighs. “You see, my dad’s the last in a long line of Hunters, and that’s with a capital H: it’s even my surname, Hunter. Our family has been hunting vampires for millennia, quite literally. We’re very respected in the… the community, and we know some things other hunters don’t.” She pauses again. “It’s a lot of pressure, you know?”

“Yes, I can see how that would be,” Faye says. “You’re supposed to carry on the family business, right?”

“Right. But… only boys can inherit. It’s tradition, you see,” Maddie says, quirking her mouth in distaste. “And my dad… well, he’s old, and stubborn, and he doesn’t like that I’m a girl. So I ran away.”

“Oh. Like I did,” Faye says.

“Right, I remember you telling me about that.”

Faye nods. “I was literally conceived because my dad wanted an heir. And, well, because of tradition, that heir has to be a man, and my dad, like yours, doesn’t accept that I’m a girl.”

“Oh,” Maddie says, blinking in realisation. “That’s why he sent his thrall after you.”

“Yeah, probably.” Faye sighs. “I’ll have to move, since my dad clearly knows where I am.”

She looks at Maddie. Maddie looks back at her.

“So what do we do now?” Faye asks.

Maddie bites her lip pensively. “Well, you’re a vampire. A Daylight Walker, even. And I’m a capital-H Hunter. By all rights, we should fight each other.”

“But you don’t want to.”

“You’re right, I don’t.” Maddie takes a deep breath, and lets it out. “And if you’re moving, I’m coming with you. Wherever you want to go.”

Faye nods. She steps over the thrall’s body, towards Maddie, quickly covering the short distance that separates them; Maddie looks at her approach and knows that she should feel afraid – there’s a Daylight Walker! Right there! Moving purposefully towards her! – but somehow she doesn’t, and she stands still, rooted in place, as Faye stops right in front of her, their faces inches apart.

They stare into each other’s eyes for a long moment.

“Stakes can’t kill me. Just by the way,” Faye says.

Maddie’s eyebrows rise towards the sky. “They can’t?”

“Nope,” Faye says, putting her hands on Maddie’s sides and drawing her even closer. “Wood stakes work fine against normal vampires, and they do sting a bit, but you need silver or fire, or both, if you want to put a Daylight Walker down for the count.”

“Why are you telling me this?” Maddie asks, though she feels as if she already knows the answer.

Faye smiles. “Because I want my girlfriend to trust me. And because I trust my girlfriend enough to know that she won’t shank me while I’m sleeping.”

“I promise I won’t,” Maddie says, reciprocating the smile. “As long as you promise not to bite me without permission.”

“I promise I won’t.”

They lean in, and they kiss.

-----

The bell above the door dings as Faye and Maddie enter the diner. “Oh, hel… lo?” Boss says, frowning at them. “What’s wrong? You don’t look so good.”

“Boss, we… we came to say goodbye,” Maddie says.

His frown deepens. “Goodbye?”

Maddie nods. “We’re leaving. We’re moving.”

“Oh. Where to?”

“Away. We don’t know where yet.”

Boss looks at them for a moment, then nods. “Alright, girls, take a seat. You gotta eat before leaving, right?”

Faye visibly hesitates. “But…”

“Sit,” Boss repeats; then, more softly, he adds, “Please?”

“Alright,” Maddie says, and Faye nods; they take a seat at their favourite table, and talk in hushed tones with each other as Boss walks off to the kitchen. He’s back in short order with two bowls of Chili con carne, which he sets down in front of the pair.

“On the house,” he says, sitting down at the table with them. “Eat up.”

The girls dig in, attacking the Chili with their spoons and gusto, and Boss looks at them for a moment; then he reaches out, and places a coin, about as large as a quarter, down on the table: the face that is visible is decorated with an elaborate emblem.

Maddie blinks at the coin, then looks up at Boss.

“Do you want to go somewhere else?” Boss asks quietly.

Maddie holds his gaze for a moment, then shakes her head. “No, right here is okay,” she says.

“Maddie, what’s this about?” Faye asks.

“That coin is more or less our badge,” Maddie explains, looking at Faye. “It’s a way to recognise each other without any need for words.” She looks at Boss again. “So you’re a hunter.”

“Capital H,” Boss replies. “I’m your relative. A distant cousin. When you ran away from home, your dad called me and asked me to keep an eye on you.”

“Why?” Maddie asks.

“Because he thought… How did he put it? He said that you would come to your senses soon enough, put this whole ‘being a girl’ nonsense behind your back, and go back home.” He pauses and then, carefully, he adds, “Apparently he’s changed his mind, because a few hours ago I got a phone call from him. He told me to bring you back home. By any means necessary.”

Maddie and Faye both tense up.

“I ain’t doing that,” Boss says.

Faye narrows his eyes at him. “Again: why?”

“Because I’m not an ass-backwards bigoted fuck like he is. You deserve to live your life how you wish, as who you wish, without anyone telling you otherwise.”

“Thank you,” Maddie says.

Boss nods in acknowledgement. “Unfortunately, your dad will stop at nothing to bring you back. And believe me, he has connections: there’s nowhere you can go he’ll be unable to find you.”

Maddie slumps in her seat, visibly deflated. “Oh. So what do I do? What do we do?” she asks, exchanging a glance with Faye.

“First things first,” Boss says. “We’ve been having this discussion in front of Faye here, so she obviously knows about you. But do you know about her?”

“She knows,” Faye says, and Maddie nods.

“Okay. Then I won’t need this.” Boss reaches down, under the table, and with a sharp movement unhooks something from his belt and sets it squarely down on the table: it’s a silver knife, a menacing stiletto, the blade six inches long. “Your dad gave it to me. Just in case, he said.”

“So he knows about me,” Faye says. “Everything about me.” Boss nods. “Okay. And how does he know about me?”

“He knows about you because he’s working with your dad.”

Faye and Maddie both blink in surprise. “Wait, what?” Faye exclaims. “Our dads are working together?!”

“Oh yeah,” Boss says. “Daylight Walkers and capital-H Hunters have been working together for nearly a millennium. We have an agreement of sorts: we Hunters tolerate a certain amount of dead humans, and we refrain from all-out attacks on your kind. Daylight Walkers, on the other hand, don’t go around siring too many vampires, and don’t attack the Hunters directly.” He pauses. “And they also agree on other things.”

“Such as?” Maddie asks.

“Do you think it’s a coincidence your dads both decided to father heirs twenty-four years ago? It was so you would both succeed them at the same time, and keep the agreement ongoing.”

“Huh,” Faye says; then she giggles.

“What’s up?” Maddie says.

Faye shakes her head. “Nothing, it’s just… I think it’s a bit ironic. The two of us were literally meant to be together, right from the start.”

“Well, not together together,” Boss says, “but more or less, yeah.”

“So it’s destiny. We were destined to meet each other,” Maddie says, looking at Faye and smiling; Faye smiles back.

They gaze into each other’s eyes for a few long moments, then Boss coughs discreetly. “Let’s not get sidetracked here, girls.”

“Sorry,” Maddie says; Faye shrugs sheepishly.

“So, now that we’re all on the same page, here comes the million-dollar question: what do we do?” Boss asks.

Maddie inclines her head to the side, and hums pensively. “I think I know what to do, actually. I think I have a plan.”

“You do?”

“Yeah,” Maddie nods, and she reaches out and grabs Faye’s hand, giving it a squeeze. “I think it’s time for you to go home.”

-----

After taking a deep breath, Faye pushes open the doors to the mansion and walks in. “Father,” she announces loudly, “I have returned.”

It takes a few moments for the echoes of her voice to die down, and about a minute before her dad appears at the top of the staircase.

“Son,” he says evenly, looking down at her. “I have to admit, I did not expect you to come back of your own volition. Especially not after what you did to poor Baldwin.”

“Was that the name of the thrall you sent after me?” Faye says. “If so, my apologies for draining him. But he could’ve explained his intent better.”

“He had, admittedly, a tendency to rush into things,” the Great Ancient says drily; then, after a pause, he continues, “Have you finally come to your senses?”

Faye nods. “I have. I’m ready to take my place by your side as your heir. And to prove it, I have brought you a gift.”

She steps briefly back outside the mansion, and roughly pulls a tied-up Maddie into view before pushing her inside.

“Behold,” Faye says. “The child of your enemy.”

Faye’s father regards them for a moment, and then nods. “Very well. Kill him.”

Without hesitating even a moment, Faye plunges her fangs into Maddie’s neck; after a couple seconds, Maddie crumples to the ground.

Faye wipes away a rivulet of blood running down from the corner of her mouth, and looks up expectantly at her father.

“You have done well, my son,” he says. “You have–”

“What is the meaning of this!” a voice says, and a middle-aged man storms into the mansion, followed closely by Boss. “You! Beast!” the man says, pointing at the Great Ancient. “What have you done to my son? I thought we had an agreement!”

“Hunter,” the vampire says in surprise. “What are you doing here?”

“My cousin told me what was happening, and I rushed over,” the Hunter replies; then he says again, “I thought we had an agreement!”

The Great Elder seems to hesitate for a moment, then shakes his head. “It was not I who did this. My son did it without my permission.”

Faye blinks, and looks at him. “Father?” she exclaims.

“I hope this… unfortunate misunderstanding does not alter the terms of our agreement,” Faye’s father continues, ignoring his daughter.

The Hunter chews on the inside of his cheek for a moment, seemingly mulling things over. “No,” he carefully says. “No, I think not. I have lost a son, true, but I can father another one. A better one. One who’s not a sissy like he was.” He pauses. “But I demand satisfaction. I demand your son’s life in return.”

“Take it,” the Great Ancient says without a moment’s hesitation.

“Father!” Faye shouts. “Don’t do this! I am your son!”

“I can father another one,” the vampire says. “A better one.”

The Hunter nods in approval, and steps towards Faye.

“…Alright, I think that’s enough,” Faye says. “It’s clear you’re a pair of irredeemable jerks. What do you think, Maddie?”

Maddie rolls over and stands up with a fluid movement, the ropes coming untied with a tug and falling to the ground around her feet. “I think you’re right, Faye.”

Their fathers’ eyes go wide. “…It was a ruse?” the vampire asks.

“Yup, sure was,” Faye says. “We already knew how you two felt about us, but we wanted to see what your reaction would be to us being placed in mortal danger.”

“Just for the record, that reaction was not good,” Maddie says.

Faye nods. “You both get an F.”

There’s a moment of silence, then the Hunter says, “So now you know. What are you going to do about it?”

“What do you think?” Maddie says. “Hey, Drac, think fast.”

Her arm moves in a flash, and six inches of silver sail through the air and embed themselves into the Great Ancient’s heart: he only has time to gasp before he crumbles into dust.

The Hunter blinks, and then he smiles. “My son! Congratulations! I’m–”

“Nope,” Faye says. “Absolutely not. Sorry, but you’re not getting off the hook that easily.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that Maddie has taken care of my idiot father for me. And now I get to take care of her idiot father for her.”

Faye steps towards the Hunter; he blinks in surprise, and tries to take a step back, but Boss is standing right behind him, and he grabs his arms, pinning him in a hold.

“David!” the Hunter demands. “What in the hell are you doing?”

“Helping out my friends,” Boss says. “Go ahead, Faye.”

Faye nods, and is next to them in the blink of an eye; the Hunter’s scream is cut short, and when Boss lets him go he falls to the ground, drained of blood.

“Phew,” Faye says, wiping her lips; then she turns towards Maddie. “Are you alright?” she asks. “I didn’t drink too much, did I? I’m so sorry, but I had to do it, to sell the whole thing.”

“Don’t worry,” Maddie says, walking up to her and putting her hands on Faye’s hips. “I’m perfectly okay.” She pauses. “Do I taste good?”

Faye giggles. “You taste delicious.”

They lean in, and kiss deeply; it’s almost a minute before they come up for air, and then again only because Boss loudly clears his throat.

“Oh, shush,” Maddie says, and Faye sticks her tongue out at him.

“So, regarding the next part of our plan, are we still going with it?” Boss asks.

“Of course. The two of us were never here, you came over with my dad, he and Faye’s dad had a major disagreement, which ended with the both of them dead and you injured but alive,” Maddie says.

He nods. “Go ahead, Faye.”

Faye nods in turn; she pulls her fist back and, with carefully-measured strength, punches Boss in the arm; there’s a snapping sound as the bone breaks, and she winces. “Sorry.”

“It’s alright,” Boss says, grimacing in pain. “Alright, you two, go ahead. Make yourself scarce.”

“Thank you,” Faye says, and she hugs him, carefully avoiding touching his arm.

Maddie hugs him in turn. “Thank you,” she says. “We’ll come visit.”

“Call ahead if you do, we don’t want anyone to see the three of us together,” he replies. “But I’ll be glad to see you. Now shoo.”

Faye and Maddie both nod, they join hands, and walk out of the mansion. Once they’ve put some distance between them and the building they pause.

The sun breaks over the horizon.

They look at each other.

“So where do you want to go?” Faye asks.

“Wherever. It doesn’t really matter,” Maddie replies. “As long as I’m with you, any place is fine.”

They kiss again, giggle, and start running.

The End.